Tom Bateman On Portraying A Psychopath In ‘Based On A True Story’

Peacock’s Based On A True Story is a hilarious, off-the-wall satire on society’s obsession with true crime. In the story, Los Angeles is terrorized by the West Side Ripper, portrayed by Tom Bateman (Thirteen Lives), a serial killer who has left a trail of dead bodies around the city.

In the eight-episode dramedy, Kaley Cuoco (The Flight Attendant) stars as Ava Bartlett, a pregnant wife and true-crime-obsessed realtor who hasn’t had much luck selling a home in a while. She’s married to Nathan, played by Chris Messina (Air), a former tennis pro who suffered an injury that ended his career.

The down-on-their-luck couple faces a mounting pile of unpaid bills and an overflowing toilet when Bateman’s Matt Pierce, a charming plumber, saves the day. When Ava discovers Matt is the killer, she convinces Nathan to start a true-crime podcast with him. One caveat: there is to be no more killing! One cannot make such a deal with the devil…

With laugh-out-loud one-liners and Cuoco, Messina, and Bateman’s spot-on delivery of them, Based On A True Story is the perfect four-hour escape.

In a recent interview, Bateman talked about how much fun they had making the show. He also said he took the role seriously and did his homework before starting.

To prepare, Bateman read Jon Ronson’s book “The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry.” What stood out to him was Ronson’s fascinating descriptions of the psychopaths he interviewed. “They’re in prison serving multiple life sentences for the most abhorrent crimes against people, but when you meet them, they are charming. They are funny. They seem to care about people. One of these guys is very loving to his mother.”

Bateman then talked about how psychopaths cover up their darkness. “They wear these masks, and they wear them for so long and so well that it almost becomes, through osmosis, a part of their personality.”

As for his character, Bateman condemns his behavior. “What defines this man is that he murders people purely because he wants to. He finds it fun; it gives him a sense of power over someone, which I think is one of the worst crimes you could commit.”

There were a few must-haves for Bateman with Matt, who has joined that list of lovable serial killers alongside Tony Soprano and Dexter Morgan. Like his predecessors, Matt is a father. “I remember saying early on that I wanted him to be a good dad.”

In one scene, Matt takes his young son to the grocery store, and the viewer sees how kind and loving he is. “What was brilliant about the writing is that in the same scene of him being a good father, being cheeky and fun with his kid, he also finds his next target. That scene alone was just so fascinating to do. Almost every scene was that. He’s this fun, charming guy who wants to be friends with Nathan and be in this little trio, but at the same time, he murders people. He’s so many different things. There was just no end to his juicy riches.”

Bateman enjoyed acting with Cuoco and Messina. “I’d get to play these mind games with them. I’d almost look at these two children out of their depth. This world of darkness, murder, and cover-ups is where Matt lives. So, being the weird parent figure to these two kids trying to navigate their way through that was fun. Playing these scenes where I’d try to terrify them one second, seduce and flatter them the next, and then be their buddy in another in that weird, twisted way was so fun.”

Bateman recalls first reading the script and thinking it was such a crazy premise for a series. “It’s such a big, out-of-the-box idea. Nothing was out of bounds for me to do as we were filming. I could swing so big, and the piece holds it.”

Back to his character as a good father, Bateman doesn’t feel this redeems him in any way. “Maybe I’m a bit too black and white with this, but I think the ability to hurt someone and murder someone is such an abhorrent thing, particularly if it is something you’re driven to do through lust, desire, and vanity. I don’t think it’s excusable or understandable on any level.”

The series comes from Craig Rosenberg, Jason Bateman, and Michael Costigan. Rosenberg (The Boys and Gen V) serves as showrunner, executive producer, and writer. Bateman and Costigan executive produce.